By OkayGoal 
The Champions League Final is always one of the biggest events on the sports calendar. On one side, you have Arsenal, a team that came from behind to stun Lyon to get to the final. On the other side, you have the royal soccer empire, otherwise known as Barcelona. The Catalonian side has won back-to-back Champions League titles and three of the last four. A three-peat in the Champions League would be the second time a team has ever done it, with Lyon winning four straight from 2017 to 2020. Outside of Arsenal fans, few would dare to pick Arsenal in an upset here, but that’s the beauty of sports. These two teams still have to play the game. Nothing is won on paper. Here’s a breakdown of the Women’s Champions League Final.
Arsenal vs. Barcelona: Saturday, May 24 at 12:00 PM ET/9:00 AM PT, DAZN Youtube Channel
In terms of tactics and style of play, the game flow should go as we all would expect. Barcelona will dominate the ball, and Arsenal will sit back and hope to catch Barcelona on the counterattack. Arsenal managed to put heavy pressure on Lyon, and it worked–they folded. Barcelona will not be fazed by this pressure, and the idea of playing tiki-taka is to exhaust the lungs of the Arsenal players who are constantly chasing them. Barcelona is far too good at imposing its will on the game and controlling the tempo. Arsenal is actually 2-2 all-time against Barcelona, but Barcelona was dominant the last time these two teams played in 2021/2022. If Arsenal is going to pull off this upset, the following three players will make the difference for Arsenal.
Key Players for Arsenal
Daphne van Domselaar – Goalkeeper
Arsenal’s first-choice keeper has been getting back to full strength after an ankle injury and will be immense for the Gunners. The key for Arsenal is to keep this game at 0-0 for as long as they can. If they allow an early goal, Barcelona’s odds of winning go up significantly because they’ll use their passing to slow the game down and not allow Arsenal to find their attacking rhythm. That’s why van Domselaar has to be at her best, if she makes a few saves early, it’ll give the whole team even more belief that they can pull this off. The key to this game starts with Daphne van Domselaar and her ability to make the big saves early on.
Mariona Caldentey – Midfielder
No one on Arsenal’s roster knows Barcelona better than Mariona Caldentey, who was a part of the Barca teams that won three of the last four Champions League titles. Caldentey has more than enough big game experience to share with her teammates to go with her skill. Caldentey scored an incredible goal in the semifinals, and that is exactly the type of magic they’ll need from her in the final. Whenever Arsenal has a moment to counter with space in attack, expect Caldentey to be at the center of it.
Alessia Russo – Striker
If Arsenal is to pull off the upset, their finishing has to be as ruthless as it was against Lyon. The former UNC Tar Heel is a big game player and has shown a propensity to score high-level goals when her team needs her. Russo also leads the team with eight goals in the Champions League. If anyone is going to find a way to score against Barcelona, it’s going to be her. All the Gunners need is one goal, whether it’s 0-0 or they’re down 1-0, one goal to take the lead or tie is all they need. If Barcelona scores twice, it’s hard to see Arsenal finding a way through twice as well.
Key Players for Barcelona
Barcelona has a superstar duo in Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati, but it’s the amazing supporting cast that has led the charge, especially Cláudia Pina.
Cláudia Pina – Striker
Putellas and Bonmati get all the attention, but Cláudia Pina has taken another step up in her development and is playing like one of the top players in the world. Pina single-handedly put Chelsea to the sword over the two legs. Pina is the team’s leading scorer in the Champions League with a ridiculous 10 goals in 8 games. To have more goals scored than games played in the UWCL is incredibly hard to do and highlights just how elite Cláudia Pina has been for Barcelona. This is who Arsenal will have to focus on because if Barca’s playmakers get her the ball in dangerous areas, she’s going to score at least once in the final.
Salma Paralluelo – Striker
Salma Paralluelo is the X-Factor for this Barcelona. If there’s ever a time when they might struggle to score, she’s an ideal player to bring in and get the goal needed. If, for whatever reason, Arsenal manages to slow down the trio of Putellas, Bonmati, and Pina, it’s Paralluelo who will have to step up when the team needs her. All Salma needs is an inch of daylight to go on one of her trademark solo runs, galloping down the field like a gazelle followed by a top-level finish. Should Barcelona find themselves in any trouble, having Salma Paraullelo is an amazing luxury to have in this game.
Prediction
I’m not going to be the one to pick against Barcelona, but I think I speak for a lot of neutral fans when I say that it’s hopefully a competitive and entertaining game. Arsenal will hopefully make it hard on Barcelona, and if they can keep the game low scoring, they have a chance. Barcelona lost one game in the Champions League, and it was a 2-0 loss to Man City. The Gunners will surely rewatch that game to see what City did to disrupt Barcelona. With that being said, it feels more than likely that a three-peat awaits FC Barcelona in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Barcelona Wins 3-1
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